The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-03-15
+ CAPT EADs DEAD.
DE LeSseps Passes Over
The Deep, Dark River
go - of Death. III

A dispatch received from Nassau,
| New Hampshire last Hight, briefly
states: Tap, James b. Eads died
here 80 d'sv' OF pneumonia. Of all
the great. men who. have died within
the past eighteen mouths. perhaps
none will DE; SO greatly missed in
America as. will Captain EadS. Lit
tie beyond the prime Of life and still
in the zenith of his usefulness, great
corporations! we've looking to him t9A
develop IN the nexe few years some of
the grandess engineering schemes The
world has yet seen g.. -. I. -
Captain Eads was born at Law
renceburg, Ind, MAY 23rd,
1920, and was consequently
nearly 81 ye5es iof a9siat the time Of
his death. At the age Of 9 years
Capt lads parents removed to Louis
vile KY, and when he was Is years
of age tehy removed to st. Louis
where young Eads grew to manhood,
and developed the wonderful genius
natures hand endowed him with, and
which first began TO display itself at
the tender age OF. eight years. On
his way to St, Louis Mr.. Eads who
was already very poor, lost what lit
tie he han by the burning of the boat
upon which he was trayeing, the
family barely escapingin, their night
clothes This compelled young Eads
to help support the family, to the
neglect of his education, and he began
life by vending fruits He shortly al
ter secured a >ituationiih lhedry goois
house of Messrs. Williams and Duh
ring where he remained Until IS years
Of age when failing health compelled
him TO seek other service During
his stay there, however he had access
to the library OF Mr Williams and
stored his mind witRuse1ul knOwe,ige.
On leaving the firm he secured a
clerkship on a Mississippi river
steamer. Atthe age of %, in 1912 he
connected himself With the boat
building firm Of Case & Nelson and
took charge of a, wrecking boat and it
was in this business that he originated
the diving bell. His next venture
was in the z lass making business
which proving unsuccessful he aban-
dohed it in 49, Z and returned 10 the
river with Mr.. Nelson as a partner.
They began operations with about
81 800 but were SO successful
that in ten years the business repre-
scented half a million dollars In 1857
Capt. Eads. owing to Ill health, re-
tired from business. On the breaking
out of the war Capt Eads was called
to Washington, and for the next four
years rendered valuable aid in invent
ing and constructing gun boats and
other water defences. and near the
close of the war went to England TO
regain his lost health. In 1867, hav-
ing returned home, he began the con-
structiOn of the St. Louis bridge, one
of the most wonderful -triumphs OF
engineering skill on the continent,
and which was opened to the public in
1874. ~
His grandest achievement was the
widening and deepening OF the Mis-
sissippi river channel and the jefties
at Its mouth.
A later dispatch dated Key West,
Fla, says it is impossible to get any
further particulars relative to the
death of Capt. Eads. the dispatch
which chronicled the fact was receiv-
ed from Nassau bv the steamer Lizzie
Henderson to day and forwarded by
the associated press agent, at that
psint there is no Geographic cOmmu-
nicatiOn with Nassau and no one ON
board the vessel which brought the
Intelligence knew anything about the
matter. .,...--;l ..,i..sa-